Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; March 16, 2018)

TV actor Karishma Tanna has landed in a legal soup with Delhi-based event manager Manas Katyal accusing her of fraud. Katyal has slapped a legal notice accusing the actor of cheating, threatening and blackmailing him.

According to Katyal, a former TV actor who appeared in Rakhi Ka Swayamvar, Tanna had been roped in to perform at a wedding reception in Haldwani on February 16. “We gave her the advance payment, thus booking her for the said date. However, Karishma and her entourage, including her manager Payal Rai and stylist Seema Samar Ahmed, didn’t show up at the venue. Her noshow caused us a loss of nearly Rs 10 lakh.”

He adds that Tanna had been flown down to Delhi by them and was being brought to Haldwani by road when she had a change of heart. “She threatened our driver with a false case of harassment if he didn’t turn the car around and drive her back to Delhi.”

Tanna, on her part, accuses Katyal of duping her. "I was told the show was in Moradabad. When we reached Moradabad, we found out that the show was actually in Haldwani, which is another few hours from there. I had told Manas right at the start that I have a back issue and can’t travel long distances.”

Countering Katyal’s demand that she compensate for his loss, she retorts, “ Why should I return the money? He should compensate me for the mental harassment that I was put through.”

Tanna’s lawyer Tushar Gujjar says they have responded to Katyal’s notice and initiated proceedings against him.